Adjustable sign and frame



Patented Jan. 4, A1898.

A.. GQR'OEBUCK. ADJUSTABLE SIGN AND FRAME.'

(No Modem waa.

/NVENTR l A TTONEYS.

UNITED STATES PATnT Ottieni.

ALVAH C. ROEBUCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE SIGN AND FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,831, dated January 4, 1898.

Application led March 11, 1897.

To .ft/Z whom, t may concern.:

Beit known that I, ALVAH C. ROEBUCK, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a neuT and Improved Adjustable Sign and Frame Therefor, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

The object of my invention is to provide a sign and a frame for the saine, the sign and frame being capable of use as a name-plate or for other purposes.

A further object of the invention is to construct the frame in suoli manner that it may be adapted to any name, no matter hour long or how short it may be, or to any reading matter that may be required for display.

.A further vobject of the invention is to provide a sign and a frame for the same which will be simple, durable, and economic and readily applied to an;T surface and is capable of being ornamen ted in various Ways and of producing striking eiects.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as Will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters oit' reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan View of the improved sign. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line el 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through a slightly-modified form of the frame and sign. Fig. 6 is atranverse section through a further modiiied form of frame and sign, and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through the frame and sign constructed as shown in Fig. 6.

The frame of the sign consists of two side pieces 10, said side pieces being provided at each of their inner edges with dovetailed grooves 11 and caps 12, which form the ends of the frame, the caps receiving` the end portions of the side pieces. Each cap, when it is independent of the side pieces, is provided with an interior shoulder 13, against which the ends of the side pieces have bearing when the frame is assembled, and a plate 14E is se- Serlal No. 627,025. (No model.)

cured upon the inner face of each cap at its front surface, the plates 11i being beveled so as to readily enter the grooves 11 in the side pieces of the frame. These grooves may be of any desired shape, and the plates 14: will correspond in shape to that of the grooves. The plates la may be secured to the caps in any suitable or approved manner.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the caps are showuas provided .with collars 15, which are carried through openings in the plates 14, and the bottom portions of the collars are opposite. The screws 16 or equivalent devices for fastening the sign or its traine to a given object are passed through openings in the caps and through the aforesaid collars 15. The letters 18, punctuation-marks, or other characters are produced, preferably, in relief, each upon a plate 17. These. plates are beveled or shaped at their ends in such manner that they will enter the grooves 11 in the sides of the frame and will be held in position firmly between said side pieces. The side portions of the plates to Which the letters or characters are secured are made to abut, and the Vend plates 17 will engage 1with the plates 14, that are secured to the caps l2. It is evident the side pieces of the frame may be made as long or as short as may be required to properly display the subject-matter of the sign.

In Fig. 5 instead of the grooves 11 being formed in the inner edges of the sides of the frame strips 19 are attached to the under faces of said side pieces to form said grooves for the reception of the plates having the letters or characters applied thereto.

A further modified form of the sign and its frame is shown in Figs. l5 and 7, in which the side pieces 10 are made to abut against shoulders 20 in caps 2l, forming the ends of the frame; but in each cap 21, upon the under face of each side,a projection is formed, in which an angular or undercut groove 22l is produced or a groove of other shape. These grooves, as shown in Fig. 7, extend Well to the end portions of the caps and are adapted to receive a back plate 26, upon which back plate the plates 24:, having the letters or characters 25 produced thereon, are adapted to rest. The plates 2i, having the letters or characters in this instance, are made square or straight at their ends as Well as at their IOC sides and enter angular grooves 23, made in the inner edges of the sides l of the frame, as is best shown in Fig. 6. Under this latter construction it is obvious that an exceedingly strong sign may be produced, the sign being particularly useful when a number of Words, sentences, or phrases are to be displayed.

Under any of the constructions shown the parts of the sign may be quickly assembled or separated, and the sign may be readily adapted to any space Where it is intended it shall be displayed.

Preferably the side pieces Will be firmly attached to or made integral with one of the caps, the other cap being removable. The screws 16 need not pass entirely through the frame of the sign, but may simply enter threaded sockets at the back of the frame.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a sign, a frame, comprising side pieces having grooves in their inner edges, and caps receiving the ends of the side pieces and proj ectin g over the same, said caps being detachably connected With the side pieces, substan-A tially as described.

2. In a sign, a frame, comprising' side pieces having grooves in their inner edges, and caps independent of the side pieces and receiving and projecting over the ends of the said side pieces, said caps being provided on their inner faces with a plate engaging the grooves of the side pieces, substantially as described.

In a sign,a frame,consisting of side pieces having their inner edges grooved, caps receiving and projecting over the ends of the side pieces, said caps being provided with apertured collars, and plates on the inner faces of the caps, said plates being apertured to receive the said collars and having their edges engaging the grooves of the side pieces, substantially as described.

4. In a sign,aframe,consistin g of side pieces having grooves in their inner edges, caps receiving the ends of the side pieces and engaging the grooves of the same, each of said caps being provided With a grooved projection on its inner face, and a back plate engaging the grooves of the said projections, substantially as described.

5. A sign, comprising side pieces having dovetailed grooves in their inner edges, caps forming the ends of the frame and receiving the ends of the side pieces, said caps being provided with plates engaging the grooves or' the side pieces, and character-plates having beveled ends to iit in the grooves of the side pieces, said plates abutting each other, substantially as described.

6. In a sign, a frame consisting of side pieces having grooves in their inner edges,caps forining the ends ct' the frame, receiving Within them the extremities of the side pieces, the caps being provided with bearings for said extremities of the side pieces, plates for display purposes, having opposite edges shaped to enter the grooves in the side pieces of the frame, and stops secured to the caps, engaging with said display-plates at the end portions of the sign, holding said plates in predetermined position, as and for the purpose specified.

`ALVAH C. ROEBUCK. 

